With a declared lambda value of 0.030 W/m*K, the optimized insulating material Neopor Plus (EPS, expandable polystyrene) now provides the best rated value for thermal conductivity for EPS insulating materials in Europe.

BASF today announced that it has acquired the polyamide (PA) polymer business of the Mazzaferro Group, Brazil. BASF is hereby further strengthening its position with regard to engineering plastics and polyamide polymers in South America. The transaction comprises the site and production facilities for the PA 6 product range, as well as engineering plastics compounds at São Bernardo do Campo in the metropolitan area of São Paulo.

Organic waste bags made of BASF’s compostable plastic Ecovio® have been tested in composting pilot projects in Germany, Canada and Australia. In all cases the composting plant operators could confirm the complete decomposition of the Ecovio bags in their facilities. If the organic waste were to be collected and composted separately in all of Europe, the greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposal could be reduced by around 30 percent.

Basotect®, a melamine resin foam from BASF, ensures the right sound effects under the hood of the Porsche Panamera Diesel. The foam is used for both sound and thermal insulation in the four-door Gran Turismo’s engine compartment, transmission tunnel, and paneling near the engine. In addition to its good acoustic properties and high thermal resistance, the low weight of the foam is what especially attracted developers.

Since February 2012, thermostat housings molded from Ultramid® A3WG6 HRX are in use at VW. The new polyamide specialty from BASF has been developed specifically for applications requiring high hydrolysis resistance in conjunction with high strength. Production takes place at Veritas AG, for the VW engine factory in Salzgitter. The coolant control module’s cover must withstand a pressure of several bars at a peak temperature of up to 130 °C.

Together with its partners Bekaert (Belgium) and voestalpine Plastics Solutions (Netherlands), BASF is working on the development of thermoplastic components that are reinforced with steel cord fabrics and produced by means of injection molding. The three companies have joined together with the objective of deploying and further developing the new EASI technology with partners in the automotive industry. The abbreviation EASI stands for Energy Absorption, Safety and Integrity.

The new Opel Astra OPC, a sport coupé, which was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show at the beginning of March 2012, has a seat pan made from a thermoplastic laminate with continuous fiber reinforcement (organo sheet). This is the world's first auto seat pan based on this technology manufactured for a production vehicle. The plastics used are polyamide specialties from BASF's Ultramid® product range. The seat pan is 45% lighter than its predecessor.

Basotect® is going to be used in Bonn’s trams to provide effective sound absorption and thermal insulation. In a large-scale project, the municipal works of the city in Western Germany will be modernizing 25 old trams over the next few years. Each of the vehicles will be clad with around 150 square meters of the Basotect G grade in a thickness of three centimeters. The intention is that the first fully modernized tram is to run in the Rhein-Sieg district in 2012.

The waste management company in Berlin (BSR) and BASF have successfully completed a pilot project involving the use of organic waste bags made of the biodegradable plastic Ecovio® FS. Roughly 80% of the residents surveyed were satisfied with the bags. Incorrect disposal, in other words, the number of conventional, non-biodegradable bags that ended up in the organic waste bins, fell sharply during the trial. The amount of organic waste collected increased by about 10% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

BASF will increase its capacity for cyclohexane oxidation at its Antwerp Verbund site by about 50,000 tons per year. The total investment amounts to about €10 million. Cyclohexane oxidation products are important intermediates for caprolactam and adipic acid, starting materials for polyamide 6 (PA 6) and polyamide 6.6 (PA 6.6).

BASF has purchased the PET foam business of the Italian company B.C. Foam S.p.A., headquartered in Volpiano. The companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price for the transaction. The acquisition includes production facilities and intellectual property rights, as well as a special extrusion process which enables the production of high-performance PET foams with very high densities. These PET foams are primarily used in wind turbine rotor blades and will extend BASF’s product range for the growing global wind energy market.

BASF will present its novelties for composites at the Paris “JEC Composites Show” from March 27 through 29, 2012, in hall 1, booth G 17. The company moves forward as a globally recognized supplier of innovative epoxy and coating systems designed specifically for manufacturing and coating rotor blades of modern wind turbines. An additional focus this year will be on novel composites based on polyurethane (PUR) and stepped-up automotive lightweight activities.

Nuove Dimensioni Ambientali, S.p.A., the Italian supplier of acoustic building insulation solutions, uses Basotect® to absorb sound and thermally insulate its Zeus® ventilation system. Zeus is designed to provide thermal insulation and sound absorption in building air vents and the inside is lined throughout with light gray Basotect G. This type of ventilation system is specified for Italian kitchens for safety reasons, as gas is the primary cooking fuel.

With the addition of Ecovio® F Mulch, BASF is expanding its line of biodegradable plastic compounds in the form of a grade for use in the manufacture of agricultural film. In contrast to conventional agricultural film, the one made from Ecovio F Mulch is biodegradable. It is no longer necessary for farmers to retrieve the film from the field for disposal or recycling after the harvest. They can simply plow it under along with what remains from the plants.

Palusol® SW fire resisting boards from BASF have achieved excellent sound attenuation levels in acoustic tests in accordance with British Standard at Chiltern International. This internationally renowned test laboratory located in High Wycombe in the UK, undertook the tests on doors that were constructed and proved to achieve 30 and 60 minutes fire performance British Standard.

More than 30,000 square meters of ceiling baffles made from BASF’s foam Basotect® have been installed on the retractable roof of the Dongsheng National Fitness Center Stadium in the city of Ordos, northern China, in order to optimize the acoustics. The complex construction required not only an effective sound insulation but also a lightweight solution.

BASF will build a new plant to produce Ultrason® polyethersulfone (PESU), one of BASF’s high-performance thermoplastics, at the company’s site in Yeosu, Korea. The annual capacity of the new plant is 6,000 metric tons. Construction of this specialty plastics plant will start in early 2012 and production is expected to begin by early 2014. About 50 new jobs will be created once the plant is operational.

Teklas, a Turkish automotive supplier has actively pushed development of water-assisted injection molding technology (WIT) for manufacturing hollow plastic parts. The company produces fluid-carrying tubes for automobiles in high volumes from BASF’s special Ultramid® A3HG6 WIT. This polyamide 66 grade offers good inside and outside surfaces as well as the required high chemical resistance. The new tubes provide individual conveying of cooling water, air and oil in the engine compartment.

BASF has been producing caprolactam using a large-scale continuous process at Ludwigshafen for half a century now. During this time around 6.5 million tons of the polyamide 6 intermediate have left the site. With two more plants at Antwerp, Belgium, and Freeport Texas, US, and a total production capacity of 800,000 tons per year, BASF today is the world's largest manufacturer of caprolactam.

The Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt) - German Institute for Construction Technology - in Berlin has given BASF's Styrodur® C (XPS: extruded rigid polystyrene foam) technical approval for multiple layers as perimeter insulation in groundwater. Up to three layers of the insulating material can now be used under non-load-bearing foundation slabs and on basement walls at a total thickness of up to 400 millimeters. Perimeter insulation reduces heat losses at the bottom of a building.

BASF plans to increase the production capacity of its insulation material Neopor® (EPS, expandable polystyrene) in stages at its Ludwigshafen site by altogether around 60 kilotonnes from December 2011, and is set to achieve full capacity by October 2013 at the latest.

Crash mats with a core of Neopolen® E provide greater safety on ski slopes and downhill runs this winter season. These mats made by the Austrian company Berger contain a specially-designed Neopolen E hollow chamber system. On impact, the BASF foam provides optimum shock cushioning, thus helping to protect skiers from injury.

SCHOTT Solar and BASF were honored with the Materialica Design + Technology Award 2011 on October 18, 2011, in the “Product” category. The award recognizes a new material concept for roof-integrated photovoltaics (PV) that consists of a specially developed multifunctional tray made from the plastic Ultramid® B High Speed from BASF and a frameless double glass module from SCHOTT Solar. The design study specifically targets larger roofs and is extremely easy to install.

The new Ultradur® High Gloss B4570 is one of the new engineering resins from BASF making their appearance at the trade fair FAKUMA 2011. Compared to existing PBT grades for headlight bezels, this material offers not only high gloss. It is specifically characterized by its extremely low outgassing at temperatures up to 160°C over an extended period of time. Like related resins in the Ultradur family, the new material can be metallized without difficulty.

BASF’s Basotect® melamine foam is in use for insulating the Gobi line of solar flat plate collectors by Heliodyne, Richmond, California, one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of solar collectors in the US.

At Fakuma 2011, BASF is introducing the second member of its new line of polyamides with a heat-aging resistance up to 220 °C. With a glass fiber content of 50 percent, the new Ultramid® Endure D3G10 offers considerably improved stiffness at elevated temperatures. Target applications are components in the charge air system. This material will allow even more metal to be replaced in the engine compartment.

At FAKUMA trade fair, BASF is introducing three new crash-optimized polyamides: Ultramid® B3ZG3 CR, Ultramid® B3ZG7 CR and Ultramid® B3ZG10 CR. The high-strength and impact-resistant plastics are suitable for body applications but also for other crash-relevant components on the vehicle, at the steering wheel, as structural inserts or on the seats. For material development and testing of these materials, BASF developed a bending and tors.

Engineering plastics: specialties for various sectors / First all-plastic wheel rim suitable for high-volume production / Special show: High-performance materials for medical applications / Cooperation with machine manufacturer Arburg to improve flow and energy efficiency / Styrolution with wind-powered turbine made from Luran S / Polyurethanes and masterbatch preparations.

At the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, smart and BASF have exhibited a world first: The “smart forvision”, new concept vehicle from smart, is the world’s first automobile to ride on thermoplastic wheel rims. They are over 30 percent lighter than standard production aluminum wheels and are made from the new specialty polyamide Ultramid® Structure. They will also be on display at the BASF stand during the Fakuma plastics trade fair in October in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

In a special show at the Fakuma 2011 in Friedrichshafen, material producer BASF and machine manufacturer Arburg will present the subject of energy efficiency in injection molding. Using the optimised plastic Ultramid® B3WG6 High Speed and the electric Arburg Allrounder 370 E injection molding machine, it will be demonstrated in the East Foyer how new developments can work together to save energy and reduce unit costs.

For the reflector used in an automotive interior lighting application, the automotive supplier Delphi has recently started to employ Ultrason® E 2010 MR, a special high-performance plastic (PESU: polyether sulfone) from BASF. The material is characterized by its good mold release properties. The reflector is injection molded and metalized by Goletz GmbH.

In mid-2011 BASF has established a lightweight composites team. The group focuses on the development of marketable materials and technologies that are suitable for manufacturing high-performance fiber-reinforced parts for automotive applications. The company intends to develop systems based on epoxy, polyurethane and polyamide chemistry in close cooperation with customers and will be making a double-digit million euro investment here in the coming years.

Effective immediately, the district of Bad Dürkheim has approved the permanent use of organic waste bags made of BASF’s compostable plastic Ecovio® FS. Residents and local waste management companies tested the bags over a period of three months. The residents of Bad Dürkheim are very satisfied with the new waste bags. And in the organic composting plant Grünstadt the bags made of Ecovio FS degrade completely and do not impair the quality of the compost.

At the TV studios of the Portuguese television station RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal) in Lisbon, sound absorbers made from Basotect® are now improving acoustic quality. Thanks to its outstanding sound-absorbing properties, BASF’s melamine resin foam provides for optimal speech intelligibility.

From September 5 – 8, 2011, BASF will exhibit at the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), Hamburg, Germany, Stand A12, hall B1G, presenting its range of products for the solar industry. Next to the well-known products, BASF will show a special innovation: A pan construction made from the engineering plastic Ultramid®, which allows an innovative and easy fastening and mounting of photovoltaic modules.

BASF will substantially expand the production plant for the insulation material Styrodur® C at the Ludwigshafen site in Germany. This will increase the production capacity of the extruded polystyrene rigid foam panels (XPS) from the current 1.3 million m³ by an additional 220,000 m³. Operation will start at the end of 2011.

The Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics at the University of Stuttgart, Germany can now test components for acoustic emissions. This is possible because sound-absorbing molded parts made of Basotect®, the melamine resin foam from BASF, have been installed in the institute’s laminar wind tunnel.

The Deutsche Institut für Bautechnik [German Institute for Building Technology], Berlin has now officially approved Styrodur® 3035 CS, Styrodur 4000 CS and Styrodur 5000 CS (XPS: extruded polystyrene rigid foam) from BASF for double-layer installation in inverted roofs. This means that the inverted roof, which offers several advantages for flat roofs, can be applied to meet particularly stringent insulation requirements as well.

Germany's largest kindergarten and school outfitter, Wehrfritz, Germany has now included Abacustica® from BASF in its range. Thus, Abacustica can now be purchased for kindergartens and schools directly via the outfitter's catalogs. Abacustica is a do-it-yourself system which allows teachers, children, and parents to improve the acoustics of rooms quickly and easily themselves.

The Children’s Museum of South Dakota, USA uses various acoustic panels made from BASF’s melamine resin foam Basotect® for sound absorption and noise control in several rooms and exhibits throughout the museum. The architectural and design team for the interactive museum decided on Basotect panels from the acoustic products manufacturer, pinta acoustic inc., Minneapolis, USA.

The ESP 9, latest generation of Bosch’s electronic stability program (ESP), is part of the safety package in many vehicles. Its control housing is molded from the especially hydrolysis-resistant Ultradur® B4330G6 HR from BASF: This special compound from the PBT family satisfies the very demanding requirements faced by engineering plastics in hot-humid environments.

BASF is increasing its compounding capacities for the engineering plastics Ultramid® (polyamide) and Ultradur® (PBT: polybutylene terephthalate) at its Schwarzheide site by 10,000 metric tons per year. This is a first step within the scope of the capacity expansions that are planned in view of the sharp rise in demand in Europe. BASF anticipates average annual growth for these engineering plastics in Europe of more than five percent.

At the Intersolar trade fair, SCHOTT Solar and BASF are presenting a new roof-integrated photovoltaic concept based on the SCHOTT ADVANCE Series. The concept employs only two parts: a specially developed, multi-functional pan made from the BASF resin Ultramid® B High Speed and a frameless double-glazed module from SCHOTT. The product has been designed for large roof areas on industrial or agricultural buildings and is very light and easy to install.

The current T-model in the E-Class from Mercedes has a fuel filler flap made of the new Ultramid® TOP 4000 from BASF, a mineral-filled semi-aromatic polyamide (PA 6/6T). The conductive engineering resin is suitable for online-painting and offers high stiffness and dimensional stability: Plastic components made from Ultramid TOP 4000 can, without additional effort or costs, withstand the various baths and painting operations to which the rest of the car body is subjected.

BASF offers the packaging industry a variety of barrier solutions that demonstrate a high effectiveness in preventing mineral oil residues from migrating from cardboard food packaging into food. This has been confirmed through a series of studies conducted by the official Food Safety Authority of the Canton of Zurich on the BASF products Ultramid®, Epotal® A 816, Ecovio® FS Paper and specially developed dispersions.

High-quality bicycles can now be transported securely in the FBox™ from the company formgüter GmbH, Berlin, Germany. The inside of the transport case is made of Neopolen® P, an expanded polypropylene (EPP) from BASF. The tough-elastic foam protects, for example, racing bikes, mountain bikes, and triathlon bikes from impacts and damages.

BASF’s specialty foam Basotect® is now for the first time used to insulate pipes in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank terminal in Gwangyang, Korea. The pipe cover with Basotect provides energy-efficient thermal insulation, easy handling and flame retardancy. As the temperature of LNG must be kept below -162°C, efficient insulation for the pipes is necessary.

The improved-flow plastic Ultramid® B High Speed (PA 6) makes it possible to achieve weight savings of up to 25%. This benefit can only be attained if simulation methods - like BASF’s ULTRASIM™ - are used to their full extent. In addition, the range of products in the easy-flow polyamide 6 family has been expanded: Ultramid® B3WG6 High Speed (30% GF) is being joined by Ultramid® B3WG8 High Speed (40% GF) and low-warpage Ultramid® B3GK24 High Speed.

With the “Material Kit”, BASF’s designfabrik™ is offering a new tool to automotive designers. It is an attractively designed sample case for interior designers that displays a large proportion of BASF’s material know-how: It presents more than 30 different BASF product samples that can be touched and felt and thus allows a real feel for coatings, foams and plastics. In October 2010, the innovative kit was honored with the SPE “Grand Innovation Award” in the Image Product Brochure category.

BASF is to present once again at the international packaging fair, Interpack, in Düsseldorf from May 12 to 18. Visitors can find out more about the company's innovative and versatile solutions for the packaging industry at Stand B43 in Hall 10. The company's solutions are presented in five neatly divided themed areas: cost reduction, sustainability, differentiation at the point of sale, content protection and convenience.

BASF’s biodegradable plastic Ecovio® FS Film is being used in a pilot project in the district of Bad Dürkheim, Germany. Starting on April 6, 2011, a three-month test will be conducted to determine whether the bags are suitable for collecting organic waste and how these bags behave on a large scale at an organic composting plant in Grünstadt. Garbage bags made of Ecovio make the collection and disposal of biodegradable waste more hygienic and easier.

The Dutch company EverkinetIQ International has developed in clause collaboration with Pekago, Albis and BASF its first small wind turbine in the PIQO Series with the aid of Luran® S KR 2858 G3, an ASA resin from BASF. The new product is intended to provide locally generated energy on industrial facilities, high-rise buildings, hospitals and other municipal buildings as well as private homes. It is smaller and has a lower weight than the well-known large wind turbines.

BASF is increasing its range of the melamine resin foam Basotect® with a grade offering improved ecological properties. The new grade is called Basotect G+. With its extremely low emissions it meets the current human ecology requirements of the Öko-Tex® Standard 100 in product class II for textiles with direct skin contact.

Thanks to Luran® HH 120, a specialty in the SAN portfolio from Styrolution, BASF’s styrenic plastics subsidiary, the French Renolit Ondex can manufacture especially dark corrugated roof sheets for commercial buildings. They are already in application at Belisari Cesare, an Italian agriculture company.

Ludwigshafen, Germany – February 1, 2011 – BASF has started operations at its expanded plant for the production of the biodegradable plastic Ecoflex®. Expansion of the existing plant in Ludwigshafen will increase production capacity for Ecoflex from 14,000 to 74,000 metric tons per year. At the same time, BASF will ramp up compounding capacity for Ecovio®, a derivative of Ecoflex.

BASF is adding three new products from two classes of material to its medical-technology plastics portfolio identified by the suffix “PRO”. In the POM product line, these are the two new grades Ultraform® N2320 003 PRO and Ultraform® H4320 PRO. They are joined by Ultradur® B4520 PRO, BASF’s first PBT, which is optimized for applications in medical technology. These three new “PRO” grades will be available in commercial quantities starting in February 2011.

The Flip-Box® Premium from the packaging manufacturer Overath, Germany receives the 2011 Gold Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany. The foldable transport and insulation box is made from BASF's expanded polypropylene Neopolen® P (EPP). The foam is noted primarily for its outstanding stability, low weight, great design versatility, and good insulation performance.

BASF is now introducing onto the market a new XPS (extruded polystyrene rigid foam, brand name Styrodur® C) that has an around 20 percent better lambda value than competitive products. BASF researchers made this major leap in insulation performance by integrating into the XPS finely-dispersed graphite particles which absorb the heat radiation. The new XPS insulation panels are called Styrodur® Neo.

Hot water tanks can benefit from the energy-efficient potential of BASF's versatile melamine resin foam Basotect®. The material is increasingly being used as external insulation for tanks made of stainless steel holding up to 500 liters of water. A key factor for this application is the foam's low thermal conductivity and the resulting excellent thermal insulation.

BASF has now extended its range of extruded polystyrene rigid foam panels (XPS) with an innovative product. The new insulation material is called Styrodur® HT (HT = high temperature). Its key feature is a heat distortion temperature of up to 105° Celsius. This makes the foam suitable for all applications exposed to high temperatures and requiring the proven properties of Styrodur C.

BASF’s specialty foam Basotect® is used in the Metro Line 9 stations in Seoul, Korea, to provide a quieter and more comfortable experience for commuters. The sound-absorbing and flame-retardant Basotect was installed behind perforated steel walls in 25 subway stations of line 9.

Two building projects in Ludwigshafen and Erfurt, Germany now show how the back-ventilated curtain façade with insulation panels made of BASF's Neopor® (EPS: expandable polystyrene) can be used in renovation and new buildings. A 1950s apartment house and a new office building there have been fitted with the patented swisspor Lambda Vento façade system.

BASF’s specialty foam Basotect® is used in the Genexis Theatre at Singapore to provide effective sound insulation for optimal theatre acoustics and comfortable entertainment experiences. The flame-retardant Basotect panels are fitted behind approximately 400,000 timber beads which line the curved walls of the oval-shaped theatre.

Together with Faurecia, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers and Performance Materials Corporation (PMC) from Camarillo, California, BASF has developed a car seat back that makes use of new plastics technologies. The concept seat, marketed by Faurecia as SUSCO 1.5, will be exhibited at BASF’s stand (C21/D21, Hall 5) at the Plastics trade fair K 2010 in Düsseldorf, Germany in October. The automotive supplier projects that the first serial seats will hit the road in about four years.

Innovative raw materials and tailor-made system solutions for energy-efficient, aesthetic construction and renovation are the main topics of the BASF stand at the BAU 2011. The fair takes place from January 17 to 22, 2011 in Munich, Germany. In hall A4, stand 303, the building industry can find out about new BASF products.

At the opening of the Plasitcs fair K 2010, BASF will be exhibiting JOIN cutlery made of Ultramid® A3EG6 FC plastic, a food contact-approved special polyamide. This high-quality plastic design cutlery is the creation of the design studio ding3000 in Hanover: It also serves as brain-teaser, conversation piece and table decoration. The team at the BASF designfabrik™ contributed to its development and design.

The uni_verso chair from Kusch+Co will be exhibited at the K 2010 plastics trade fair, allowing BASF to showcase yet another chair that is on its way to serial production and that was created with the assistance of the designfabrik™. The seat of this special-purpose chair, made of the plastic Ultradur® (PBT), combines elegance with functionality, and was developed with the aid of the universal simulation instrument ULTRASIM™. The chair will be on display at BASF’s stand (Hall 5, Stand C21/D21).

The market for connectors and junction boxes used in photovoltaic installations can now rely on BASF’s Ultramid® grades (PA), which for decades have proven their worth in the electrical and electronics sector. The stiff Ultramid® A3X2G7 is particularly apt for the field of photovoltaic connectors, whereas Ultramid® A3XZG5 is recommended for junction boxes. Both materials are flame retardant, of high strength and provide high impact resistance at low temperatures.

At the K 2010: With its new Ultrason® E Dimension product, BASF has succeeded in combining high dimensional stability and ease of processing in the realm of high-temperature resistant thermoplastics. The new member of the polyethersulfone (PESU) family exhibits very high stiffness at temperatures between 120 and 220 °C and also exceptional dimensional stability. Nevertheless, its viscosity is still so low at processing temperatures that it can fill complex injection molds reliably.

On the occasion of the international plastics trade fair K 2010, BASF will be introducing a new member of its ABS product line that was specifically developed for the requirements made in electroplating. The plastic goes by the name Terluran® BX 13074 and is intended particularly for plumbing fixtures, the household sector and automotive construction. The first components made with this new product will be showcased at BASF’s trade fair stand in Düsseldorf in October 2010.

The especially easy-flowing ABS/PA brand Terblend® N NM 21 EF has found its first high-volume application in automobile interiors. Peguform, an automotive supplier for interior and exterior components headquartered in Boetzingen, Germany, is using the material to manufacture speaker grilles for a mass-produced German automobile. The plastic material can be colored in a variety of shades for automotive applications.

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, has approved the new Ultramid® FRee S3U40G5 Balance from BASF. The company’s new flame-retardant plastics range Ultramid FRee that is being introduced at the K 2010 combines an exceptionally high flame retardance that is achieved without halogen-containing additives with a light color. This characteristic is becoming increasingly important for electronic component manufacturers.

The red-silver aluminum roof - over 200,000 square meters in size - of the Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi is secured in place with the aid of mounting brackets made of BASF`s plastic Ultramid® (PA). The world’s largest and most impressive standing-seam metal roof was developed, manufactured and installed by the Interfalz company of Oranienburg.

The manufacturer of sealing and insulation systems Hanno®, Germany uses Basotect® by BASF to reduce energy losses in computing centers. In order to eliminate thermal bridges caused by openings in false floors for cabling, Hanno developed the energy-saving foam closure Clima-Tect®. Thanks to a special coating, Hanno makes the BASF foam material almost airtight. In this way, up to 99.9 % of the air losses in the false floors can be reduced.

The new hammer drill made by DeWALT – a worldwide developer and manufacturer of professional power tools and part of the Stanley Black & Decker corporate group – has a plastic housing that is a combined part, enclosing both the electric motor and the gear. The engineering plastic used here is BASF’s Ultradur® B4300 G6. The sophisticated part inside the power drill replaces two separate housings, one of which used to be made of die-cast magnesium.

BASF Polyurethanes offers three innovative insulation materials for the cold chain: Elastocool® for freezers, Elastopir® for refrigerated warehouses, and Elastopor® for freezer chests and truck trailers. An eco-efficiency analysis shows the efficiency of different polyurethane (PU) thicknesses in the cold chain: If all storage facilities and vehicles were to be insulated by PU foam with optimized thickness, 16 times more energy could be saved than is needed for the production of the insulating material.

Since April 2010, the first gas lines of the Nord Stream Pipeline Project are being laid. They are to run in the Baltic sea, between Vyborg/Russia and Greifswald/Eastern Germany. Approximately 200,000 pipes will have to be welded together, and 200,000 weld seams will have to be sheathed and thus protected against damage. BASF Polyurethanes’ Elastopor® H, an open-cell polyurethane rigid foam, has been selected to accomplish this mission. It has been optimized in strength and processing speed.

One of the many offshore applications of polyurethanes from BASF Polyurethanes are VIV strakes. They are enveloping the pipelines rising from the seabed and dissipate strong horizontal current forces. Other applications of BASF’s PU in offshore oil and gas industry are pressure-resistant insulations on deep sea diving bells, subsea buoys for pipeline parts and the thermal insulation of the pipelines themselves.

Cables and lines now have to meet the requirements of temperature class D of German standard LV 112 and, for instance, must be able to pass the winding test even after 3000 hours of hot-air ageing at 150°C [302°F]. The reasons for this are the higher voltages and currents that occur in vehicles with electric motors. The new Elastollan® 785 A 10 HPM, a TPU made by BASF Polyurethanes, meets these requirements, while it is less costly and easier to process than the alternative materials.

The manufacturer of sealing and insulation systems Hanno®, Germany uses Basotect® by BASF to reduce energy losses in computing centers. In order to eliminate thermal bridges caused by openings in false floors for cabling, Hanno developed the energy-saving foam closure Clima-Tect®. Thanks to a special coating, Hanno makes the BASF foam material almost airtight. In this way, up to 99.9 % of the air losses in the false floors can be reduced.

One of two further improved polyurethane solutions for especially high end surfaces in automotive cockpits is Elastoskin®, the aromatic In-Mould-Coating spray skin. In its newest version it is up to 20 % lighter and more cost effective. The second solution is the hard-phase-modified aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane Elastollan®, from BASF Polyurethanes as well. The material recently achieved better flow properties and a broader spectrum of available hardness.

Researchers at BASF have developed the additive Irgastab® RM 68 especially for plastics that are processed by means of rotational sintering. The patented combination of stabilizers optimizes the sintering process, improves the quality of the end product and helps to save energy. Rotational molding is suitable for shaping large hollow articles made of plastic, especially polyethylene (PE). These include recreational equipment such as kayaks but also all kinds of tanks.

BASF’s new UV absorber CGX UVA 006 absorbs more UV radiation than conventional products and is exceptionally light, heat and weather resistant and easy to process. For manufacturers of transparent plastic sheets and films made from polycarbonate, polyester or acrylic glass, e.g. for winter gardens or roofs of large shopping malls, the material offers higher productivity, less waste and less effort in cleaning the machines.

There are quite a few novelties in the product groups Terblend® N (ABS/PA), Terluran® HH (HH-ABS) and Luran® S (ASA) in BASF’s line of styrene copolymer specialties: materials sporting even more attractive surfaces, higher temperature or UV resistance, and improved flowability. The new Luran S 767 KE, e.g., can be efficiently co-extruded with PVC at low melt temperatures. In addition BASF is presenting three improved Terblend N grades, one of these grades being the new ASA/PA blend.

BASF’s new inorganic orange pigment Sicopal® Orange K 2430 is heat-resistant and weathering-resistant. It thus offers a property profile that is new for orange pigments, making it ideal for high-temperature plastics and outdoor use.

Development of the Resofix® Plus by the company Resoimplant in Regensburg, Germany took only about one year. During an operation for a torn cruciate ligament, the disposable applicator ensures safe and gentle attachment of a new tendon in the knee. The handle and the handle’s tip are molded out of Ultraform® PRO from BASF. The custom-formulated POM (polyoxymethylene) grades for the medical device market offer, in addition to the classical material properties of the plastic, a comprehensive medical technology-service package.

In the year of the K show 2010 BASF presents the new plastic Ultradur® LUX, which demonstrates that in contrast to all experts’ opinions polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) can be well laser welded. By modifying the polymer morphology, the researchers succeeded in increasing the laser transparency of PBT from 30 to 60 %. A PBT with such a high and constant laser transparency is unique in the market.

Plastics for the electrical and electronics markets (E/E) must satisfy a combination of different requirements. Minimal flammability and a light natural color are two of these, while absence of halogen-containing flame retardants that make disposal in compliance with European directives (WEEE) difficult is also important in many cases. This combination of requirements is satisfied by the new polyamide and PBT grades Ultramid® FRee (PA) and Ultradur® FRee (PBT) available from BASF for the E/E market.

BASF is now completing its line of flow-optimized Ultramid grades and introducing Ultramid B3WG6 High Speed, its the first High-Speed grade of its polyamide 6 compounds. In this case, among other things, the optimized flow characteristics of the resin permit a cost-effective production for huge under-the-hood parts.

BASF’s polyamide 610 range is being joined by additional grades. Three new glass fiber-reinforced PA 610 grades and a blend from PA 610 and PA 66 now complement the product Ultramid® S3K Balance. Among the extraordinary properties of this polyamide family, which is based on the renewable resource castor oil by up to 63 %, are its hydrolysis and stress crack resistance. It is interesting for the housings of electronic parts which are in contact with aggressive media, but also oil filters and oil pans.

With the aid of inexpensive greenhouses made from plastic film agricultural output per hectare can be increased considerably. A new light stabilizer by BASF can help improve these greenhouses and make them even more effective: Tinuvin® XT 200 protects film made from thermoplastic resins against overly fast degradation when exposed to UV light and to agricultural chemicals like sulfur.

Is it better for a new shopping bag to be made of a biodegradable plastic such as BASF’s Ecovio® or of a conventional plastic? A comprehensive eco-efficiency analysis takes many weeks and is quite complex. With its Ecovio® Eco-Efficiency Compass (E³C), BASF is now providing an online tool with which the pros and cons of the individual product options can be quickly and efficiently identified so that they can be discussed with customers.

Soll eine neue Einkaufstüte besser aus einem bioabbaubaren Kunststoff wie Ecovio® der BASF oder einem konventionellen Kunststoff gefertigt werden? Eine umfassende Ökoeffizienz-Analyse dauert viele Wochen und ist recht komplex. Die BASF hat nun mit dem Ecovio® Eco-Efficiency Compass (E³C) ein Online-Werkzeug erarbeitet, mit dessen Hilfe man schnell und effizient die Vor- und Nachteile der einzelnen Produktalternativen bestimmen und mit dem Kunden diskutieren kann.

The new transport pallets made of plastic, being launched onto the market by the Hirsch Group, Glanegg, Austria, are not only hygienic, safe and easy to clean: First and foremost, they weigh up to 75 % less than conventional wooden EuroPallets, because they consist of expanded polystyrene (EPS). Their protecting and robust skin contains Styroflex® 2G66, a highly elastic styrene butadiene copolymer (SBC). It protects the new palettes against damage.

For the manufacture of shrink film which goes into the packaging market for consumer goods, BASF has developed a further improved version of its plastic Styrolux®. By mixing the company’s new SBC polymers Styrolux T and Styrolux S, which are part of an innovative two-component system, processors can individually shape their property profile. The resulting “Styrolux T/S” works well in sleeve technology, but also for the ROSO technique.

The main valve body for a new generation of fire extinguishers is molded from the special polyamide grade Ultramid® T KR 4355 G10 from BASF and represents the first volume application of this new grade of plastic. This challenging plastic part replaces a brass predecessor in the main valve of the extinguisher. Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products is already using the new plastic valve which was developed by Multiplast in Moosbrunn, Austria.

After the ULTRASIM™ Fatigue Tester BASF is now presenting its second test specimen for the investigation of fatigue phenomena on highly loaded plastic components: The ULTRASIM Weld Tester shall help to determine and predict the fatigue strength of weld joints under different long-term loads. With this comprehensive investigation concept BASF is entering new market territory.

With the product family Ultramid® Structure LF BASF enters the market for long-glass fiber reinforced (LF) polyamides. These highly loadable materials will help to substitute even more metal and thus contribute to lightweight construction. The specific property of these plastics is their capability to form three-dimensional glass fiber networks during injection molding which gives the component its unique mechanical performance.

With Ultramid® Endure BASF has now developed a highly heat-stabilized and cost-competitive specialty polyamide that satisfies the demanding temperature requirements for components in the charge-air stage such as resonator, intercooler end caps, charge-air lines, throttle valves and intake manifold. Innovative stabilization technology gives the new material greater resistance to heat aging. This represents another step in the direction of metal substitution and modern lightweight construction.

In the year of the plastics fair K 2010, BASF is presenting many new engineering plastics. Via the connection of property-performance relations with microstructures the new products are directly transformed into customer specific materials. Among them are laser weldable, highly heat resistant, new flame retardant and high-load materials.

This acquisition of Ciba now allows BASF to offer its customers a unique product portfolio in terms of breadth and quality in the area of additives and pigments for the plastics industry. Plastic additives will continue to gain in importance in the future: because of the steadily rising technical standards required of polymeric materials and because the customers are under increasing pressure to keep on raising productivity.

BASF aims to ensure that its Plastics segment continues to grow profitably and faster than the market. At a press conference in Frankenthal, Germany, Dr. Martin Brudermüller, member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors responsible for plastics and Asia Pacific, explained that this goal would be achieved via a cyclically resilient portfolio, intensive research, and capital expenditures, in particular in Asia. The conference is BASF’s kick-off event for K 2010, the world’s largest trade fair for plastics.

BASF aims to ensure that its Plastics segment continues to grow profitably and faster than the market. At a press conference in Frankenthal, Germany, Dr. Martin Brudermüller, member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors responsible for plastics and Asia Pacific, explained that this goal would be achieved via a cyclically resilient portfolio, intensive research, and capital expenditures, in particular in Asia. The conference is BASF’s kick-off event for K 2010, the world’s largest trade fair for plastics.

BASF has developed a new cleaning version of its melamine resin foam Basotect®. The new grade is called Basotect W. It cleans even more efficiently and is whiter than the established version. It is certified to Öko-Tex® Standard 100 in product class II and can be used as a household cleaning eraser.

It is called viavario® and is made from BASF's Neopolen® P (EPP: expanded polypropylene). The ball run by isorast®, Germany consists of modules which can be joined together to create new tracks. It benefits from the expanded polypropylene's features such as low weight, impact strength, durability and a wide range of colors.

Ranging from selecting colors and surfaces all the way to optimizing the construction and the choice of material: the challenges encountered when designing with plastics are multifold. The designfabrik™ in Ludwigshafen, Germany helps its customers to realize their ideas.

Seven students at the Royal College of Art in London have developed product ideas made of the plastic Ultradur® together with the chemical company BASF. They will be exhibited from April 14th to 18th 2010 at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. One special piece shown is the space-saving electrical folding plug by the young designer Min-Kyu Choi from South Korea. For his idea he was awarded the well-known Brit Insurance Design Award in March 2010.

The MESH, BASF’s Mobile Energy-Saving House, is going on a tour through Europe. From the end of March to May 2010 the company will be sending the miniature passive house on a journey through 12 countries. The 24-square-meter building of solid wood construction displays energy-efficient building applications with BASF products and customers’ system solutions.

Basotect®, the melamine resin foam from BASF, is now certified to the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100. Tests carried out by an independent test institute have shown that the two grades Basotect V 3012 and Basotect G satisfy the human ecological requirements of the standard in product class III.

The four largest polyamide oil pans that have gone into production to date are made of Ultramid® A3HG7 Q17 (PA 66) from BASF and in off-highway service. Developed by Hummel Formen GmbH in Lenningen, they are used on engines from the 1600 Series manufactured by MTU Friedrichshafen for stationary generators and later on for agricultural and construction machinery. Compared to their metal counterparts, they provide a weight savings of 40 to 50 percent.

At German car manufacturer Opel, four high-volume vehicle models use lower bumper stiffeners (LBS) made of Ultramid® CR (PA) from BASF: Following success in the Opel Corsa, the component developed for pedestrian protection is now found also in the Opel Insignia, Opel Astra and Opel Meriva. The Opel LBS parts are distinctly lighter and thinner than the production LBS parts made of PP.

Product developers at BASF have augmented the PBT range by a particularly new low-warpage type. The latest addition to this already low-warpage Ultradur® S4090 family is the plastic Ultradur S4090 GM11, which is reinforced with glass fibers and minerals and which offers low warpage levels that had not yet been available on the market.

One of the novelties for composites, that BASF presented at the Paris “JEC Composites Show” in April 2010 is Czech Elmarco’s concept to use the high-performance plastic Ultrason® E2020 SR (polyether sulfone, PESU) for the production of special non-woven materials.

The SB block copolymer Styrolux® was produced for the first time about 30 years ago in Ludwigshafen, Germany. In 1990, just ten years later, a second plant was built in Antwerp. A special variant, the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) Styroflex®, was launched onto the market 15 years ago, on the occasion of the K 1995 plastics trade fair.

The sportiest and most powerful motorcycle from BMW, the new S 1000 RR, draws its combustion air from an intake system with a built-in air filter function (airbox) made from Ultramid® B3WGM24 HP, an extremely dimensionally stable polyamide from BASF. For this high-performance motorcycle, MAHLE, Germany, developed and manufactured the first airbox with an electrically adjustable runner length.

In terms of weight and cost, the benefits of plastic oil pans in motor vehicles can be extended further when solid gaskets are replaced with suitable adhesive sealants. The chemical companies BASF and WACKER are offering an optimally matched system: the adhesion between the new liquid silicone grade ELASTOSIL® 76540 A/B from WACKER and BASF’s polyamide Ultramid® A3HG7 Q17 is so high that the integrity of the oil pan seal is assured under all testing conditions.

Compared to all previous versions in BASF’s high performance resin range, Ultrason® KR 4113 (PESU) offers hitherto unique friction characteristics. This property is achieved by incorporating carbon fibers, graphite and PTFE. The property was measured precisely for the first time with the aid of state-of-the-art instruments by Nanoprofile GmbH in Kaiserslautern, Germany, which specializes in tribological investigations.

BASF has now developed a system for quickly improving room acoustics with little effort. The system is called Abacustica®, reduces the harmful levels of noise and ensures better audible speech. For example, it can be installed in schools and kindergartens. Abacustica consists of sound-absorbing panels made of BASF's melamine resin foam Basotect®, an adhesive from the BASF subsidiary PCI Augsburg, and installation instructions.

For the first time a transmission cross beam – a high-load structural component - has been manufactured of the plastic polyamide and used as standard in the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo 550i. By choosing Ultramid® A3WG10 CR instead of aluminum, it was possible to reduce the weight of the part by 50%. The cross beam was developed by ContiTech Vibration Control in close cooperation with BMW and BASF, with the help of BASF’s ULTRASIM™ simulation instrument.

The film set designer Artrockz, Germany uses Neopor®, the expandable polystyrene (EPS) from BASF, to produce surface facings for decorative structures. The facings are used in film and television sets as well as decorative interior insulation in private residential buildings.

Back-ventilated curtain facades extending to the high-rise building limit can now be efficiently thermally insulated with expandable polystyrene (EPS). This innovation became possible thanks to insulation materials made from Neopor®, the EPS from BASF. The Swiss insulation material manufacturer swisspor uses Neopor in its patented facade system swisspor Lambda Vento for back-ventilated curtain facades.

BASF is now offering the new biodegradable plastic Ecovio® FS. The first two new types in the plastics family called Ecovio FS Paper and Ecovio FS Shrink Film are optimized for coating paper and manufacturing shrink films. Sample material is already available. Introduction into the market at large is scheduled for the first quarter of 2010.

BASF now offers a new and patented version of the foam Neopolen® P (EPP: expanded polypropylene) for devices used in heating, ventilation and sanitary systems. The metallic-gray Neopolen P 9335 mg is noted for its thermal insulation which is 10 percent better than standard EPP. Thanks to the versatile properties of the new product, foamed Neopolen P molded parts are able to perform several functions at the same time.

For its new model GBH 36 V-LI Compact Professional especially lightweight and almost vibration-free cordless hammer drill, Bosch selected the resin Ultramid® B3EG7, a particularly rigid and impact-resistant glass fiber-reinforced grade of polyamide 6 from BASF, that meets the demanding requirements for durability. The hammer drill weighs only 2.9 kg and, at 12 m/s2, has a low vibration value to minimize fatigue when working.

The performance front seats of the new Opel Insignia OPC were developed by Opel and Recaro with BASF’s assistance. These seats are made of two special polyamides from the Ultramid® family and of the specialty foam Neopolen®. The seat pan, backrest shell and crossbar were designed using the ULTRASIM™ simulation package, replacing now the steel frames that used to be employed. The seats will be exhibited together with the Opel Insignia OPC at the Fakuma trade fair.

One of the automobile components honored with an SPE Automotive Division Award 2009 (Europe) was a novel crash-active engine cover with an integrated air filter for BMW for which BASF supplied the Ultramid® (polyamide) resin, but also assisted through provision of complex development methods. Moreover, a torque rod support, an intake filter housing of Ultradur® and the VW Touareg rear bench seat made of Neopolen® (EPP) were prize-winners.

The international heating systems manufacturer Viessmann, Germany, now uses Basotect® to insulate its solar collectors. The light, flame-retardant melamine resin foam produced by BASF is fitted to the side walls and the rear of flat-plate collectors. Basotect shows good insulation properties over a long period, even when exposed to high temperatures. It positively influences the air exchange in the collector at different climatic conditions.

ContiTech Vibration Control, manufacturer of engine mounts, and BASF have jointly developed an innovative stabilizer for the new Porsche Panamera. The part is made of a high-strength polyamide from the Ultramid® CR family, it reliably withstands engine torques up to 650 Nm and weighs 35% less than a metal component with comparable functionality. By employing BASF’s ULTRASIM™ simulation package, it was possible to design the part directly on the computer.

The new automatic lawnmower Automower® 260 ACX from the Swedish lawn and garden equipment manufacturer Husqvarna is able to handle 6,000 square meters and has been developed specifically for large lawns. To protect the expensive electronics from the effects of wind and weather, Husqvarna selected Luran® S, the ASA (acrylic ester-styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer) from BASF, for the approximately 80-cm-long housing.

For durable, hard-wearing and safe sports mats, BASF offers Neopolen® E, an expanded polyethylene (EPE). The lightweight foam can be used as core material for gym mats because it keeps its resilience and has an optimal energy absorption behavior even after heavy use. Lightweight gym mats are primarily used for floor exercises in school sports.

Seven works by students at the Royal College of Art in London will be exhibited by BASF at its booth 4308 in hall B4 at the FAKUMA trade fair that will be held from October 13 – 17, 2009 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Design is one focal point of this year’s BASF appearance and what young designers are able to create using the plastic Ultradur® (PBT). In addition, a new blend of ASA and polyamide (Terblend® N BX 13043) will be introduced.

The Hans Walter Wild Stadium belonging to the German regional soccer team Spielvereinigung Bayreuth has the first soccer pitch in Germany to feature artificial turf from the Swiss company XL Turf. Laid beneath the green turf fibers are slabs which are made from Neopolen® P, the expanded polypropylene (EPP) from BASF. They act as a foam cushion which absorbs energy. The lightweight Neopolen P increases the playing comfort and prevents sports-related injuries.

Recently, the new Terblend® N NG-02 EF found one of its first high-volume applications at Same Deutz-Fahr Group, the Italian manufacturer of agricultural tractors. The latest glass fiber-reinforced member of the ABS/PA line from BASF has been optimized to provide especially good flowability and compared to the conventional glass fiber-reinforced product offers almost twice the impact strength. The panels for the interior of the tractors from Same Deutz-Fahr Group present challenging requirements for the resin.

Since June 1, 2009, BASF is offering three new products in Europe in its line of styrenic specialties approved specifically for food contact applications. These are the ASA grades Luran® S 777 K FC, Luran S 757 G FC and Luran S 797 S FC (ASA: acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylic ester copolymer). The reason for introducing the new products can be found in the GMP regulations established by the EU for materials that come into contact with food.

For its new portable Lifestraw® Family water purification system, Vestergaard Frandsen uses Ultrason® E 6020 P resin, a polyethersulfone (PESU) from BASF. The Swiss company manufactures products to protect against illnesses, primarily in developing countries. The easy-to-use plastic design that characterizes the LifeStraw® Family simplifies on-site conversion of large quantities of dirty water into potable water in villages and by families.

The Kettler company is cladding its new cross trainer Satura P 7653 with Terluran® GP-35, a standard ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymer) from BASF’s product range of plastics, which Kettler itself then colors in light grey and black. This Terluran type is manufactured at the ABS plant in Antwerp, Belgium, which will be celebrating the production of its one millionth ton in July of 2009.

At the newly built Barceló Raval design hotel in Barcelona, Spain, sound absorbers made from Basotect® are improving the room acoustics. The lobby of the ten-story, four-star hotel has around 2200 ceiling baffles which are made from BASF's flexible melamine resin foam and ensure optimum speech intelligibility. The low weight of Basotect and the possibility to easily manufacture different shapes gave the interior designer great freedom of design when it came to decorating the lobby.

In the new Opel Insignia, the plastic Terblend® N NG‑02 is being used for a ski-hatch opening for the first time. In spite of its glass fiber content, this ABS/PA blend made by BASF can be used for visible parts without having to be coated. Compared to other vehicle interior materials, this saves time and cuts costs. Among the important properties of this styrenic specialty are high acoustic damping and the good balance between stiffness, dimensional stability and toughness.

The latest object created by designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec in co­operation with Vitra, the Swiss furniture manufacturer, is called Vegetal and is an organically conceived chair for indoor and outdoor use. It is made entirely of BASF’s plastic Miramid® by means of the so-called GIT process, a special injection molding technique. Vitra will now showcase it to the public at large upon the occasion of “Salone Internazionale del Mobile”, the furniture fair in Milan, Italy, from April 22 to 27, 2009.

Dual-clutch transmissions are among the most innovative automatic transmis­sions. The same applies to their control units, which have been systemati­cally improved by Continental over the last five years. Now the next generation of this complex family of components is being serially employed by VW, Audi, Ford and BMW. The plastic parts of the integrated control units for these transmissions are made of the heat-stabilized and oil-resistant Ultramid® A3WG6 (PA 66) from BASF.

As a first, BASF is launching a plastic containing carbon nanotubes (CNT) onto the market. This material is Ultraform® N2320 C, a polyoxymethylene (POM, also: polyacetal) that, thanks to the novel additives, acquires a high level of electric conductivity without much of a decrease in toughness. This material has gone into its first serial application at Bosch, for a fuel filter housing for the Audi A4 and A5.

The highly elastic styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) Styroflex® 2G66 made by BASF, is now going into the serial production of films for stretch hoods by sev­eral industrial users. BISCHOF + KLEIN, a manufacturer of packaging material, is now using Styroflex to produce the stretch hood films of its SmartFlex® SE series. Owing to its high stretchability and recovery capacity, this Styroflex film lends itself very well for securing a wide array of palletized loads.

BASF's Palusol® SW fire-protection panels have now been certified according to the British standard: fire-protection doors made with Palusol SW have been successfully tested for their capacity to withstand fire for 30 and 60 minutes. Thanks to the approval obtained by BASF, door manufacturers that supply markets with British fire-protection standards can now save money when it comes to their own development work and the statutory fire-safety testing of their doors.

On March 13, 2009, BASF started up a new plant for the insulation material Neopor® (EPS: expandable polystyrene) in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The plant has a yearly production capacity of 90,000 metric tons and works with a new process based on extrusion. The insulating capacity of Neopor is up to 20 percent better than that of Styropor® (EPS), thus contributing to energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

The large German discount supermarket chain ALDI SÜD is now offering its German customers shopping bags made of BASF’s biodegradable plastic Ecovio®. Ecovio consists of Ecoflex®, a biodegradable petrochemical-based polyester and of polylactic acid (PLA), which is obtained from corn, a renewable raw material.

An innovation project has paved the way to BASF’s success in using a conven­tional stretch blow-molding machine to create the lightest half-liter polystyrene bottle ever: It weighs a mere 7.5 grams. This project gave BASF the opportunity to see whether extremely lightweight bottles for dairy products can be made of polystyrene using stretch blow-molding methods. After all, less weight always translates into lower costs.

BASF’s specialty foam Basotect® is being used in the Beijing swimming stadium in order to clad the interior of the building with flame-retardant and environmentally friendly acoustic insulation. The National Aquatics Center has been fitted with a specially developed ceiling structure made of large Basotect panels that blend in with the architectural design and meet the environmental requirements. They are load-bearing, flame-retardant and able to withstand high levels of humidity.

BASF is once again showcasing new products and applications in the realm of engineering plastics, styrenics, polyurethanes and foams at the techni­cal conference “Plastics in Automotive Engineering” (VDI) on March 25 and 26, 2009 in Mann­heim, Germany. They include the lower bumper stiffener of the Opel Insignia made of Ultramid®, new Terblend® N- and Miramid® grades for the interior as well as polyurethane solutions for the interior and exterior.

The new Styrolux® HS 70 has now gone into one of its first serial productions. AXIAL, an Italian film manufacturer, has just started to produce shrink films made of this plastic (SBC). One of his customers, Sutter, a producer of cleaning products, is using them to sleeve-wrap its bottles. The new film material offers an optimized shrinkage behavior, so that containers having a wide array of shapes can all be tightly sleeve-wrapped.

The new high-performance plastic Ultrason® E2010 HC, a BASF PESU (poly­ether sulfone), has been put to an extraordinary use. The PAB com­pany, a manufacturer of safety equipment headquartered in Buzet, Croatia, is using the highly transparent HC variant of this material for the visor of its very heat-resistant firefighter’s helmet, the FIRE HT 04. This is the first commercial application for this new type of plastic.

In 2009, BASF will be sending the Mobile Energy-Saving House (MESH) out on its travels across Germany. It is designed to be a passive house and, over an area of 24 square meters, offers all of the relevant solutions required for the design of such a low-energy house: innovative insulation with the BASF products Neopor® and Styrodur® C, intelligent air-conditioning technology and energy-saving windows. The miniature passive house is a solid wood building with full thermal insulation.

In order to retrofit roller shutter casings with thermal and acoustic insulation, BOSIG GmbH, Germany, has turned to BASF’s Basotect®. This lightweight, flame-retardant foam is used in the Rolaflex® system, which simply and cost-effectively provides built-in or walled-in roller shutter casings with energy-efficient thermal and acoustic insulation.

The German Institute for Construction Technology (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik), Berlin has given its official approval to multiple layers of BASF's Styrodur® 3035 CS, Styrodur 4000 CS and Styrodur 5000 CS used under the foundation slab. For the first time, this approval extends the use of the green extruded polystyrene rigid foam panels (XPS) to two or three layers as load-bearing thermal insulation under the foundation slab. Thus, a simpler and less expensive solution in demanding construction applications with stringent thermal insulation requirements can be provided, for example for passive houses.

One of the first passive houses with a load-bearing wood construction of stacked board elements and façade insulation using BASF’s Neopor® has now been finished. The free-standing duplex house, located in Weinheim, Germany stands out for a stacked board wall that is visible on the inside and for the highly efficient use of the construction space, thanks to its arched roof merging with a slanted wall. The extra space and comfort were made possible by a 30 cm thick, external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) with Neopor.

DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG of Frankfurt and BASF SE of Ludwigshafen, Germany, have recently signed a cooperation agreement on joint research and development aimed at improving the dyeing of textile poly­amide fibers. BASF is responsible for new polymers for fiber production while DyStar will see to the development of the dyes.

For the first time in Europe, a machine manufacturer has demonstrated that BASF’s Styrolux® 3G 46 can be processed by extrusion blow-molding. Kautex Maschinenbau, a renowned maker of blow-molding systems, has recently produced intricately shaped bottles using this styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) on a high-performance extrusion blow-molding machine.

Schmitz Cargobull showcased the first compressed-air tank made of plastic for truck trailers at the International Motor Show (IAA) for Commercial Vehicles in Hannover, Germany in September of 2008. This part was developed by the Comat company of Kaiserslautern, Germany using three precisely harmonized Ultramid® types (PA: polyamide) from BASF’s product range. The reservoir measures 1.2 meters in length and holds 80 liters. In trucks, it serves for the compressed-air control. Up to now, this compressed-air tank has been made of metal.

The Polish company Wital has recently started using the styrene-based specialty plastic Luran® S 778T from the BASF range for protective road barrier reflectors. In doing so it has been able to replace the steel previously used for the mountings by a steel-gray colored variant of this acrylate-styrene-acrylonitrile polymer (ASA).

A semi-aromatic, high-temperature resistant poly­amide, Ultramid® T KR4357 G6, is being employed in a new application. The A Raymond company, an international supplier of fastening systems for the automotive industry headquartered in France, is now using this specialty (PA6/6T) from BASF for its quick connectors for fuel pipes. Almost every renowned car and truck manufacturer in Europe uses these quick connectors.

Particle-foam beads made of Neopor®, BASF’s innovative insulating material, have now been approved for retrofitting double-wall masonry with core insulation. As RigiBead® 035, sold by Saint-Gobain Rigips, Germany the expandable polystyrene granules (EPS) demonstrate their superior insulating capacity in comparison to conventional EPS when installed as so-called blow-in thermal insulation. This is used to modernize façades consisting of double-wall masonry and to render them more energy-efficient. So, the consumption of heating energy and the CO2 emissions of old buildings are considerably reduced.

For insulating buildings exposed to groundwater with Styrodur® C, BASF’s green extruded polystyrene rigid-foam panels (XPS), BASF subsidiary PCI Augsburg has recently developed PCI Pecimor DK, a water-repellant adhesive. The function of the insulation is ensured along the perimeter, even in the case of exposure to pressing water since the water cannot penetrate behind the insulation. This means that basements can be better protected against mold growth.

SCHWÄLBCHEN AG, a dairy company in Germany, is now using beverage bottles made of BASF’s Polystyrene in serial production. The material is a highly impact-resistant Polystyrene (PS-I) that is used for injection blow molding and injection stretch blow molding. The density advantage of poly­styrene means that about 20% less plastic is needed for the production of the bottles.

BASF will be showcasing innovative raw materials, exclusive prefabricated products and tailor-made system solutions for construction and renovation at the BAU 2009, which will be held from January 12 to 17 in Munich, Germany. Hall A4, stand 303 is where architects, planning engineers and processors as well as dealers, contractors and builders will be able to obtain information about the many innovations. The featured topics include energy efficiency in the insulation of walls, roofs, and ceilings, solutions for floors and the building chemicals industry as well as paints and coatings.

As of August 1st, BASF has added another plastic specialty for the medical tech­nology sector to its product range: Luran® HD is the first SAN (styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer) to be offered along with BASF’s HD services. HD stands for Healthcare and Diagnostics. This material is already available in commercial quantities.

Sika Automotive has selected BASF’s Ultramid® A3WG10 CR to manufacture a bodywork insert for use in the new Peugeot 308 sw. This plastic belongs to BASF’s new class of special polyamides that have been optimized for high durability and strength. The structural insert installed on the tailgate hinge of the station wagon consists of a plastic skeleton and the structural foam SikaReinforcer®, which joins the system to the bodywork.

Engineers and processors in all European countries now have the planning reliability needed to design the insulation of buildings and railroad vehicles: BASF’s melamine resin foam Basotect® UF, which is employed primarily for sound absorption and thermal insulation, already now attains the highest possible rating for organic insulating materials according to the new, more stringent EU fire-protection standards for buildings and trains.

Once again this year, BASF will be taking its thermoplastics, poly­urethanes and masterbatch preparations to the Fakuma, the International Trade Fair for Plastic Processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. From October 14 to 18, BASF will showcase its innovations for plastic processors in Hall B4 at Stand 4308.

BASF will be presenting its group-wide integrated truck industry expertise at the IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hannover from September 25 to October 2, 2008 in Hall 22, Stand A 04. The company will be showing cost-effective catalyst technology, AdBlue® by BASF, engine coolant Glysantin® plus a large number of plastics for powertrain, chassis and interiors.

Since beginning of August 2008, which is when the European Union’s GMP regulations for materials that come into contact with food products have gone into effect, BASF will be offering several new grades in its range of Engineering Plastics in Europe specifically for food contact. These are PA 6.6 grades - like e.g. Ultramid® A3K FC (un-reinforced) and Ultramid A3EG6 FC - and compounded PBT grades, two of which are the un-reinforced Ultradur® B4520 FC and the glass-fiber reinforced Ultradur B4300 G6 FC.

BMW has recently started using crash-active headrests whose kinematic skeleton is made primarily of BASF engineering plastics. The plastic framework is manufactured by ITW in a fully automated assembly plant in Röttingen, Germany and the headrest is subsequently assembled at the Grammer com­pany in the Bavarian town of Amberg. In this process, BASF provided ITW not only with the materials, namely, Ultradur® B4300 G6 (PBT), Ultramid® B3EG3 (PA6), Ultramid A3K (PA 66) and Elastollan® (TPU), but also with CAE-calcula­tions and head-impact tests.

Ludwigshafen, Germany – May 19, 2008 – High heels made of Terblend® N, BASF’s ABS/PA blend, are now available on the Chinese market and ensure that spike heels that are up to 10 centimeters tall can withstand extreme conditions. This plastic stands out for its excellent impact resistance even at freezing temperatures. In comparison to high heels made of standard styrene plastics, those made of Terblend N display consid­erably better mechanical properties.

Ludwigshafen, Germany – February 14, 2008 – The Robert Bosch GmbH has decided to develop its new fuel tank pressure sensor using BASF’s Ultramid® T KR 4355 G7, a partially aromatic polyamide (PA 6/6T) that fulfills a new and crucial require­ment for materials used in electronic housings: today, any material that comes into contact with modern fuels has to be able to resist not only gasoline but also water and alcohols such as methanol and ethanol. These substances are found in the tank, especially due to the admixture of biofuel containing alco­hol. Moreover, the material can withstand the presence of zinc chloride: At the underbody area the sensor may come into contact with this zinc salt, that can be formed at the zinc plated car body due to splash water.

We are hardly aware of it any more but we are living in the age of plastics. Owing to their multifaceted application possibilities, plastics have become an indispensa­ble fixture of modern life. Plastics give designers and engineers a high degree of design freedom; more than with metal, glass or wood, the shape of objects made of plastic can be easily varied and numerous functions can be integrated. Over the time spanning from the prototype of the Panton chair made of Luran® S back in the 60s to MYTO, the innovative cantilever chair created by Konstantin Grcic in 2008 (1), a myriad of interesting design objects have been made of BASF plastic in bold, exciting, clever or simply beautiful shapes.

A new myth is born: MYTO , a cantilever chair, made entirely of plastic. It is the brainchild of an unprecedented collaboration between a designer, a furniture manufacturer and a plastic producer. A joint creation by KONSTANTIN GRCIC, acclaimed industrial designer and recipient of many international awards, by the Italian manufacturer PLANK and by BASF, this chair will be officially launched onto the market during the international furniture fair in Milan, Italy (April 16 to 21, 2008). The MYTO installation by KONSTANTIN GRCIC and BASF will also be exhib­ited at the same time in the sala d’Onore at the Triennale di Milano. The MYTO cantilever chair is made entirely of BASF’s novel, easy-flowing engineering plastic Ultradur® High Speed (chemically speaking, PBT: polybutylene terephthalate). Immediately on the fair, it will be available to the market in eight different colors.

BASF SE is to present its range of packaging plastics but also other raw materials at the international packaging fair Interpack in Düsseldorf from April 24-30. The company's innovative and versatile solutions for the packaging industry will be on display at Stand B43 in Hall 10. BASF is taking part in Interpack for the first time in more than 20 years.

BASF’s highly heat-stabilized and highly filled Ultramid® A3W2 G10 has found its first serial application in the end caps of charge air intercoolers manufactured by the Behr company. The material was tailor-made to meet Behr’s requirements. The excess-pressure fluctuations between 0.1 and 1.5 bar at continuous temperatures around 190°C [374°F] pose a great challenge for plastics. The charge air intercooler is already in use in the current Ford line of compact vans, namely, the Transit Connect/Tourneo Connect.

Recent tests have demonstrated that Styrolux® 3G46, a highly transparent SBC plastic grade from BASF, lends itself very well for blow molding (SBC: styrene butadiene block copolymer). In comparison to established transparent materials used for this method such as PVC, PET‑G or PC, Styrolux is 30 percent lighter in weight and easier to process by extrusion blow molding (EBM) as well as by injection blow molding (IBM). Thus, a wide array of different types of transparent hollow objects such as storage containers or decorative vessels can be manufactured cost-effectively.

Thanks to BASF’s new Ultra­form® E3120 BM, hollow objects with demanding requirements like hairspray bottles, paint cans or oil tanks can now be made of polyoxymethyl­ene (POM) by means of extrusion blow molding. In comparison to containers made of polyethylene (PE), they display considerable better barrier properties against gases and are resistant to many types of media such as alcohol or oil. Ultra­form E3120 BM is now avail­able in commercial quantities.

Together with the renowned system supplier ContiTech Vibration Control, a business division of Continental AG, BASF has developed the first engine torque rod made of plastic that can withstand high mechanical load. Up to now, highly loaded components have been made exclusively of aluminum or steel. For the development BASF employed its new special polyamide Ultramid® A3WG10 CR together with the distinctly expanded instrument of Integrative Simulation. The part weighs 35% less than its predecessor made of aluminum and has gone into serial production for the Opel Vectra and Saab 9‑3. The engine mount system is the primary connection member between the engine/transmission unit and the car body.

BASF has added two new hydrolysis-resistant polyamides (PA 66) to its product range. These plastic grades are called Ultramid® A3WG6 HRX and A3WG7 HRX and are reinforced with 30% and 35% glass fibers, respectively. The products were developed for applications in the coolant circuit of vehicles. They are capable of passing the latest, more strin­gent long-term hydrolysis tests demanded by car manufacturers. Additionally, they also exhibit outstanding heat-ageing resistance in hot air.

The cover that Bosch uses for the alternators of renowned car manufacturers is now being made of BASF’s Ultramid® A3UG5 LS, a polyamide 66 (PA 66). This is the first time that this novel material is being used in automotive construction. The product, laser inscribable and dyed black for this application, is rendered flame-retardant without the use of halogen or red phosphorus and it is rated V0 according to the UL 94 fire safety standard.

BASF joined forces with ALPLA, one of the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic beverage bottles, to come up with a bottle for milk and yoghurt beverages using impact resistant Polystyrene (PS-I). This demonstrates that Polystyrene is an inexpensive alternative when it comes to packaging for this beverage sector. BASF’s Polystyrene type BX 3580 – specially optimized for this application – can be processed by injection blow molding and injection stretch blow molding on the same machines used for PET.

The German window system manufacturer aluplast is launching a window system that is highly thermally insulating as well as cost-effective, thanks to a version of Ultradur® High Speed (PBT) which BASF developed espe­cially for this company. This glassfiber-reinforced thermoplastic replaces the steel that is normally used for window frame profiles, thus providing much better heat-insulating features without changing the mechanical proper­ties of the windows. The new profiles “ecoline plus” do not only save time-consuming and costly work steps for window manufacturers but also weigh 60 percent less than their predecessors containing metal. In early April, aluplast will be introducing this product innovation at the international trade fair “fensterbau/frontale 2008” in Nuremberg, Germany.

The steering-angle sensor that Bosch produces for various renowned interna­tional car manufacturers is now being made of Ultradur® High Speed, BASF’s very easy-flowing PBT. This plastic allows injection molders not only to mark­edly shorten the cycle times but also to make their components with an even more filigree design. The steering-angle sensor plays an integral role in the safety of vehicles and provides the electronic stability program (ESP) with information about the position of the steering wheel.

The SkinForm® process is being used for the first time for a serially produced part in automotive construction, namely, for the headrest of the latest Mercedes-Benz models of the C-, S-, M-, R- and GL- class. The thermoplastic support of the rear headrest cover is made of Terblend® N NM-19, BASF’s ABS/PA blend. This functional plastic part of the headrest is manufactured by Schenk Plastic Solutions GmbH in Esslingen, Germany.

The cover at the top center and the two so-called diffuse fields located on the left and right in the dashboard of the latest Mercedes-Benz C-class models are made of Ultradur® S4090 GX, a BASF PBT/ASA blend. These three parts have a very filigree surface, they provide diffuse ventila­tion of the front windshield and have to withstand high temperatures.

The Dutch company HSV has turned to Luran® S a BASF specialty plastic based on ASA for the production of cover frames for ventilation grids. Since the material and the process have changed coating is no longer necessary, the wall thickness of the cover frame can be markedly reduced and costs have been cut by one-third.

The new designer chair SLIM by Softline® All Kit is made of BASF’s transparent plastic Luran® (SAN). The ease of processing and coloring makes it the material of choice for eye-catching designer items.

THE KETTLE, a water boiler concept made of BASF’s engineering plastic Ultrason®, was recently awarded the Design Plus prize at the trade fair Material Vision in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, end of November 2007. This water boiler is a prototype stemming from BASF’s “Heat” project.

The Toyota Motor Corporation is using BASF’s melamine resin foam Basotect® TG for its Lexus flagship LS series engine hood covers. This is the first Basotect TG application produced in Japan for the Japanese automotive industry. The product, the thermoformable version of the well established Basotect, persuades the car maker due to its superiority as a lightweight material, its outstanding sound absorption and high thermal resistance.

Three years after the market introduction of Ultradur® High Speed – BASF’s very easy-flowing PBT – BASF is now presenting its first Ultramid® High Speed products. For now, these are three highly filled polyamide 66 grades. The incorporation of special nanoparticles into the plastic accounts for a marked improvement of these products not only in terms of the flow properties but also of the heat-ageing resistance at high temperatures.

Today, October 24, 2007, upon the occasion of the opening of the world’s largest plastics trade fair in Duesseldorf, Germany, Board member Dr. John Feldmann will be at the BASF stand to unveil the MYTO chair in the presence of its creator, Konstantin Grcic, acclaimed industrial designer and recipient of many international awards. This innovative piece of design furniture is a cantilever chair made entirely of BASF’s novel, especially easy-flowing engineering plastic Ultradur® High Speed.

The construction kit for the bird nesting boxes supplied by the Dutch company Wilnest is a clever application of the BASF plastic Luran® S (ASA), a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer impact modified with acrylic rubber.

At K 2007, the world’s largest plastics exhibition, BASF is unveiling Ultramid® BALANCE, a polyamide 6.10. It is based to the extent of about 60 per cent on sebacic acid, a renewable raw material derived from castor oil.

The especially low-warpage version of Ultradur® High Speed – BASF’s very easy-flowing PBT launched onto the market three years ago – is now being used in its first serial application in automotive electronics. Ultradur S4090 G4 LS High Speed, a PBT/ASA blend, is now being employed in a door control device that Continental Automotive Systems manufac­tures for use in the Audi A4 and A5.

American aircraft manufacturer Boeing is insulating its new airplane series, the Dreamliner 787, with Basotect®, BASF’s sound-absorbing and heat-insulating melamine resin foam. This is the first time that a BASF foam is used in the mass production of acoustic insulation for airplane cabin walls and environmental ducting. The outcome of the close cooperation between the two companies is the development of Basotect UL (ultra light). Boeing and BASF also developed new test methods for the use of this specialty foam in aviation.

BASF has developed a new engineering plastic that markedly reduces the risk that electronic components will malfunction due to contact with moisture or oil. The electrical conductive paths of these components can easily be overmolded with the new Ultramid® Seal-Fit, a transparent, non-reinforced copolyamide (PA) to form a tight seal.

The German Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies (VDE) has certified six halogen-free, flame-retardant BASF polyamides for use in compliance with the household appliance standard. As a result, BASF is the plastics manufacturer that can currently offer its customers the most comprehensive product line of engineering plastics intended specifically for electrical applications in unattended household appli­ances according to IEC 60335-1, without the need for additional approvals.

Effectively immediately, BASF is adding a third type of the high performance plastic class polyarylsulfone to the two existing materials Ultrason® S (PSU) and Ultrason E (PESU). This new family member is called Ultrason P and it is a polyphenylsulfone (PPSU). The new product is available to custom­ers now.

For its new product ActiGait® employed in rehabilitation medicine the manufacturer Otto Bock Healthcare is putting his trust in the plastic Terlux® 2802 HD with its BASF service package tailored to the needs of medical technology.

At BASF’s pre K press conference 2007, on July 3 and 4 in Frankenthal, near Ludwigshafen, Germany, the company presents numerous innovations from all plastic segments.

Among BASF’s plasticizers for PVC there are two especially remarkable ones. Palatinol® 10-P is used for roof sheeting and cables. Hexamoll® DINCH is an alternative to phthalates specifically developed for the use in sensitive applications like children’s toys. It is the most thoroughly investigated of all plasticizers worldwide.

Plastics for medical technology have to fulfill very high safety standards. BASF has significantly extended its plastics portfolio for this growing market. A new Terlux® (MABS) with improved flow properties (Terlux® 2812 HD) and the first engineering plastics – two copolymer polyacetals (POM), Ultraform® PRO by name – are now available for medical technology applications and include a comprehensive package of special test and certificate services.

A fourth product is now added to the three standard injection molding grades in BASF’s ABS commodity product range. Terluran® SP-6 has been developed explicitly for extrusion and it is produced under the highly cost-efficient conditions in BASF’s word scale ABS plant in Antwerp, Belgium.

The coating system PermaSkin® which uses films made of the styrenic plastic specialty Luran® S (ASA) for the coating of wooden doors, e.g., has been transformed into an independent business model. Door manufacturers receive the coating machine on leasinig-basis as well as the film and the adhesive directly from BASF. They can thus produce doors or similar products cost-effectively without wet coating and with no initial investment.

The newly founded car seat competence team focuses BASF Group’s whole know-how about car seat materials. In this context it was shown on a prototype that a car seat can almost completely be made of BASF products. Application experts are offering the complete knowledge now to car manufacturers and Tier 1-suppliers in a concise and easily accessible manner.

Soft-touch feelings in the automotive interior can be generated in different ways by using polyurethanes (PU). In addition to the well-known cast skin technique, Elastogran is now offering in Europe the spray skin method which is easier in terms of tools. The aromatic PU specialty belongs to the Elastoskin® family. A new Elastollan® grade achieves a similar target: The aliphatic hard phase-modified TPU, in brief HPM-TPU, leads to soft touch by simple two-component injection molding. BMW is already using the material in series production.

A polyol made from castor oil can be found now in Elastogran’s product portfolio, so that customers are able to manufacture flexible foams that consist of almost 25% of renewable material. The polyol is called Lupranol® Balance 50 and it was developed by using innovative reactive catalysts.

The polyurethane (PU) system Elastocoast® has been developed for coastal protection. With the elastomeric material one can secure dike breakwaters better than with conventional rigid systems, since the layers of stone are glued together elastically. First commercial projects have been realized at the German North Sea coast and demonstrate the high value of the system.

By using novel cross-linking TPUs, trade name Elastollan®, BASF’s subsidiary Elastogran offers an innovative alternative for rubber in rubber-metal composites as used in damping systems of machines. The metal component in these systems can, at the same time, be replaced by Ultramid® CR. This way complex composites can be produced faster, more cost effectively and with considerably smaller weight .

Today BASF owns the three polyamide trade marks Ultramid®, Miramid® and Capron®. Now the product ranges are restructured, so that Ultramid® remains the core brand for technically sophisticated applications and Miramid® includes small-volume grades like special colors which can be fast and flexibly supplied. The Capron® range is reduced and contains high volume PA grades for standard applications that do not involve narrow specifications.

The logical marketing consequence of Integrative Simulation: Under the trade name Ultramid® CR BASF now offers its customers for the first time six polyamide grades that, with the aid of its Integrative Simulation, are exactly matched to the demands imposed on parts in case of a crash. Apart from materials with optimized composition and the material data available for the simulation the package also contains particularly narrow specifications and intensive quality controls. The package is valid for three PA 6 and three PA 66 grades.

Before investigations of part behavior with the elaborate Integrative Simulation from BASF take place, the shape of the part should be optimised, otherwise the potential of the powerful engineering plastics cannot be fully exploited. BASF’s application specialists have supplemented the instrument of Integrative Simulation now by the so called Mathematical Part Optimization (MPO).

BASF’s method of Integrative Simulation now goes another step further for under-the-hood plastic parts that are exposed to stone impact. Special polyamide grades like Ultramid® A3HG7 Q17 have undergone broad aging tests in hot oil and the results have been implemented into the crash simulation method. So now the behavior of motor oil or gear oil sumps that have aged in hot oil for thousands of hours and are then hit by a stone can be simulated precisely on the computer und thus improved. This opens many interesting applications for engineering plastics.

BASF has further developed its powerful CAE instrument Integrative Simulation, so that it can fully consider not only metal and reinforced plastic but also structural foams which are used to glue different materials (CAE: computer-aided engineering). This allows the simulation of so called structural plastic inserts which are implemented into hollow body parts that have to fulfill high requirements in case of a crash. With this enlarged Integrative Simulation technique highly complex metal-plastic-structural foam-parts can be computed, the construction of which would otherwise be very difficult.

The foam Basotect® has aroused designers’ interest. The company Walter Knoll from German Herrenberg has developed the first fire-proof sofa by using a core of BASF’s speciality foam. The flame-resistant melamine resin foam will be part of the whole upholstered design furniture series KITE 560 which is particularly well-suited for furbishing public spaces where fire protection regulations are very strict.

There is news from designfabrik™ (design factory), BASF’s plastics service platform for designer which is located in Ludwigshafen since May 2006. The designfabrik’s technical support and advice in connection with the choice of material, processing technique and color has now been extended to all BASF plastics and includes Styrenics as well as Engineering Plastics and Polyurethanes.

Together with BASF and the furniture company Plank the internationally acclaimed industrial designer Konstantin Grcic has designed and produced an innovative chair within the record time of only one year. The chair combines high design standards with intelligent production via injection molding: The cantilever chair “MYTO” is entirely made of Ultradur® High Speed, the very easy-flowing PBT (polybutylene terephtalete) from BASF and will be unveiled on K fair’s opening day at BASF’s stand by the designer himself.

A new Styrolux® grade (SBC: Styrol-Butandien-Copolymer) has been developed for shrink sleeves in beverage bottle packaging. Films made of the new Styrolux® HS 70 have a significantly higher final shrinkage than all other SBC products in the market. This allows form-fitting sheathing even for bottles with complex geometries and thus makes possible attractive and individual product design.

Biodegradable plastics and plastics based on renewable raw materials are a constant part of BASF’s research and development activities. After the market introduction of Ecovio® LBX 8145 beginning of 2006, first lab samples of the new Ecovio® L Foam will be available in October 2007. The material is designed for foamed food trays and fast-food boxes. Like its predecessor the new Ecovio® L Foam consists of Ecoflex®, BASF’s biodegradable polyester, and the renewable raw material polylactic acid (PLA).

Water injection technology (WIT) is particularly useful for injection molding of complex hollow parts. For this technology BASF has now three specific products in its range of engineering plastics: A hydrolysis-resistant PA 66, Ultramid® A3HG6 WIT, for cooling water pipes, Ultramid® B3G10 SI (PA 6) and the PBT Ultradur® B 4040 G10 WIT, both for structural parts like roof rails. First applications have been realized together with the company Decoma.

Two innovative Ultrason® E grades (PESU: polyethersulfone) are available in BASF’s high performance plastics range. Both are developed for automotive headlights. Ultrason® E 2010 MR black HM offers improved temperature behavior since it is colored by a new pigment system. The first PESU-Blend Ultrason® E 2010 MR HP has been optimized considerably regarding toughness and processability without harming temperature resistance.

A new, low-warpage version of Ultradur® High Speed-Type has been explicitly optimized for making automotive instrument panels. It is used in the dolphin system, a new method for producing soft and leather-like instrument panels in a very cost-efficient way. The companies Engel, Georg Kauffmann, P-Group and BASF have jointly developed the dolphin technique. One of the first prototype parts near to series application will be produced live at the K show in October.

There is news about the very easy-flowing PBT Ultradur® High Speed. Backed by high market demand BASF offers now 15 different grades of this material. Brand new are the thermally conductive and the flame retardant grades.

On K 2007 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the world’s largest plastics trade fair, BASF will present a new polyamide specialty for online coatable car body parts. The material is called Ultramid® TOP and it offers extremely high heat stability which is indispensable for body parts made of plastic. Thus a part made of Ultramid® TOP can be mounted very early onto the raw car frame like e.g. a classical metallic fender and then move through the entire manufacturing process down to coating without additional effort.

Jacques Delmoitiez, head of BASF’s Operating Division Polyurethanes, gives details on the division’s three-pillar strategy. It consists of innovative products and marketing concepts, a site concept that includes more than 30 customer-orientated system houses all over the world and the global production site concept with world scale plants in all regions. With PU basic products, PU systems, special PU elastomers (TPU) and finished components like Cellasto® BASF belongs to the worldwide market leaders. Polyurethanes are the most versatile plastics and can be found everywhere in daily life, from sports shoes and refrigerators to cable isolation, top mounts and coastal protection systems.

Dr. John Feldmann, Member of the Board of Directors, responsible for BASF’s plastics as well as for the oil and gas business, explains the company’s consequent orientation on the basis of well-defined customer interaction models. In the plastics segment, BASF intends to focus on specialties and products with a high potential for differentiation in the market. The target is to increase the sales share of these products by 2010 from roughly 25 to 40%.

BASF wants to further expand its strong position in the worldwide plastics business by firmly focusing its activities on customer and market requirements. This statement was made today (July 3, 2007) by Dr. John Feldmann, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and responsible for Plastics as well as Oil and Gas, at a press conference held in Frankenthal. The press conference was held in the run-up to K 2007, the world's largest plastics trade show, starting October 24, 2007 in Düsseldorf.

The Belgian injection-moulding company Polymar just recently started using Terblend® N, BASF’s ABS/PA blend, to produce toe-cage treads sold under the name Compositi. This marks the first time that this plastic has gone into such an application, where primarily leather or metal had been used up to now.

The biodegradable BASF plastics Ecoflex® and Ecovio® recently received the iF material award 2007. The International Forum Design (iF), the design center in Hannover (Germany), this year conferred the award for innovative materials and material ideas for the third time.

For the first time the potential of Neopor® is being fully utilized, now that BASF’s silver-gray plastic granules are used in new high-performance insulating materials. Thermal insulation panels made of this expandable polystyrene (EPS), which meet the strict heat-protection requirements of the new German quality type 032 for External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), have recently become available.

Terluran® GP-35 and Terluran® GP-22, two standard types in BASF’s ABS prod­uct line, can be galvanized without any problems. This has been certified by the Luedenscheid Plastics Institute (Germany) following galvanization tests in their own techni­cal laboratory and after laboratory studies. Terluran is BASF’s brand name for the plastic ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer).

Visitors to the trade fair "Farbe – Ausbau und Fassade" (“Paint - finishing and facade”) to be held in Cologne, Germany from April 18 to 21 can see how Caparol and BASF combine ambient color with sound insulation. The “CapaCoustic Melapor” acoustic system to be showcased there is based on molded parts made of BASF’s melamine-resin foam Basotect® which are now available in 50,000 shades and can be mounted with little effort.

BASF has developed a new polystyrene (PS) grade that is particularly suitable for manufac­turing refrigerator linings. The product, called PS ESCRimo™, is much more resistant to stress crack formation than its predecessor on the market, the PS 2710 grade, and its notched impact strength (Charpy) is almost 50 percent higher.

Kromberg & Schubert, an automotive supplier based in Renningen, Germany, has developed the first 3D-MID electronic components made of BASF’s new laser-structurable polyamide Ultramid® T 4381 LDS: the conductors are integrated directly into the surface of three-dimensional moulded interconnected devices (MIDs).

When a special de-gassing screw is employed, high-gloss parts can be made of Ultrason® E, BASF’s polyether sulfone (PESU), without the need for pre-drying. Left-hand side: an Ultrason® part with noticeable streaking on the surface, manufactured on a test mould with closed de-gassing. Right-hand side: the glossy part that was produced with open de-gassing.

A bicycle, a carrier and a pushchair combined in one and, in addition an award-winning design object, that is the new Triobike from Denmark. The part of this combined vehicle that functions as the pushchair has to meet very high requirements in terms of safety and of resistance to weathering and UV light. This is why the manufacturers turned to Luran® S, an acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer modified with an acrylic ester rubber (ASA) from BASF’s PlasticsPlus™ product line.

A futuristic engine cover with an integrated air filter for DaimlerChrysler’s V8 engines is the brainchild of developers at MAHLE Filtersysteme, Germany. The plastic resin used is BASF’s Ultramid® B3WG6 GP, a polyamide 6 reinforced with 30 percent glass fibres and with high resistance to bursting pressure.

Even to laypersons who do not have knowledge of building physics, the BASF computer program "Construction Assistant" provides an overview over energy-saving and cost-effective insulation in their own house. The infrared photo shows a house whose left wall is well-insulated (blue area) while the front wall is barely insulated so that the heat can escape to the outside (red area).

It is an astounding 210 years old, this timber-frame house whose floor slab is now being insulated with Styrodur® C, BASF's green XPS. The builder is using Styrodur® C 5000 CS, which stands out for its very high compressive strength. The two-storey home in Babenhausen, Germany, is the oldest building to be restored within the scope of the nationwide model project “Low-energy houses in the housing stock” by the German Energy Agency (Deutsche Energie-Agentur).

The Ariane 5 launcher, which delivers satellites into space under the responsibility of the European Space Agency ESA, is now making use of Basotect® in order to protect the sensitive satellites against the high sound pressure to which the launcher is exposed during lift-off. This BASF melamine resin foam is lightweight, has a high sound-absorbing capacity and its low density makes it very flexible.

Two in one – the new household appliance from Fagor dries and irons clothes in one unit. The so-called Driron makes many homemakers’ lives a lot easier. Internal parts are made of Luran® S, a highly temperature resistant and color stable speciality plastic made by BASF.

BASF now also offers its Palusol® fire-protection panels as a sandwich system (SW) in conjunction with high-density fiber panels (HDF). The new Palusol® SW is available in different compositions, ranging from a simple combination of a Palusol® panel with an HDF all the way to multi-layered sandwich structures. The fire resistance of some of the sandwiches has been successfully tested in the form of parts or components of parts.

BASF’s design factory has developed for its Styrenics Specialty Plastics new shades of white specifically for the manufacturers of electronic devices. BASF is responding to the trend that white has now entered the realm of consumer electronics.

The new variant of BASF's melamine resin foam Basotect® is called Basotect®UF and it is substantially more flexible than the conventional material. As a result, this thermoset foam is now suitable for cushioning mattresses and upholstering sofas. Since Basotect® is very fire-resistant, it is already now contributing to compliance with the stringent safety regulations that American consumer-protection authorities will be introducing for mattresses next year.

Energy-efficient construction and renovation – this is the focus of BASF’s presentation showcasing a broad line of raw materials and products at the BAU 2007, the trade fair for building and living, which will be held from January 15 to 20, 2007 in Munich, Germany. BASF’s Stand 303 in Hall A4 will be the place to find innovations, market competence and applications know-how relating to almost all construction aspects found in houses, from the basement to the roof.

Together with major foam processors in Italy, BASF has established a quality group Neopor® and designed a quality seal for products made from Neopor®. Continuous quality controls are to ensure that BASF’s raw material Neopor® will be used to make high-quality thermal insulation panels for the Italian market.

Key Safety Systems, ZF Boge Elastmetall and BASF have joined forces in developing the passenger airbag used in new Audi Q7. This is Audi's first passenger airbag housing for its high-end models, where plastic is replacing magnesium. The material employed is Ultramid®, a polyamide from BASF.

This year, BASF will be presenting its thermoplastic specialities, polyurethanes and pigments together at one stand at Fakuma, the international trade fair for plastics processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. This time, BASF is also offering special services to industry and automotive designers.

The essential element of the new fischer system for the quick and reliable fixing of awnings in the exterior walls is a plastic thermal module, the so-called anti-cold cone, which is made of Ultramid® B3EG7, a reinforced polyamide 6 of BASF. As can be seen in the cross section the rods for anchoring and fixing the awning are thermally separated by a thin web within the plastic cone. That way no thermal bridges or uncontrolled heat loss will occur.

The electronics company Molex Elektronik GmbH of Ettlingen, Germany is using Ultradur® High Speed B4300 – BASF’s PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) with improved flow properties – for the housings of a new generation of 16-contact connectors. These connectors are employed for fuse and relay boxes in the interior of vehicles.

Blister packaging – transparent presentation packaging of the kind found in supermarkets – is a typical application of the highly transparent new Styrolux® 3G46 made by BASF. This material is an SBS (styrene-butadiene block copolymer) from BASF’s plastics product range.

F-tronic, a manufacturer of electrical installation products, will be replacing the sheet steel used in small distributor boxes with Luran® S, a specialty plastic made by BASF. The reason for this material substitution is that plastic proved to be a much sturdier choice for the doors and frames of the boxes.

Leuna-Miramid GmbH – a manufacturer of special polyamide compounds at the chemical site in Leuna, Germany – which was taken over by BASF in November 2005, is to be renamed BASF Leuna GmbH. The name change reflects the complete incorporation of this site into BASF’s integrated network (Verbund). The brand name Miramid®, however, will be retained in BASF’s product portfolio.

With two new products in its polyamide (PA) assortment, BASF reacts on the Household Appliance Standard IEC60335-1, which was recently made more rigorous. Both plastic materials comply with the very high fire-protection requirements of the new standard and contain halogen-free flame retardants.

June 1 of this year marked the date when BASF launched a service package for its weathering resistant specialty plastic Luran® S that is tailor-made to the requirements of manufacturers of building and construction components made of coextruded PVC/ASA. The service package also includes a long-term color assurance.

As of May 1, 2006, Dr. Harald Lauke has taken over responsibility for BASF’s Performance Polymers Operating Division. He is succeeding Raimar Jahn, who will become head of BASF Coatings AG, Münster, Germany, in July.

BASF has launched “PlasticsPlus™ design”, a new service package for product and industrial designers, the core of which is the “designfabrik™”, the design factory in Ludwigshafen. Here designers can obtain advice about the design and colouring of their plastic products and jointly create first take-home samples on the basis of a 20.000 colour shade collection combined with different surface textures.

Four renowned companies along the value-added chain of plastic processing – Engel (A), Georg Kaufmann (CH), P-Group (I) and BASF (D) – have joined forces and combined the multi-step production process for soft-touch parts used in the interior of automobiles, thereby creating a single-step process comprising injection moulding and foaming. The process is called Dolphin and it allows the sandwich components used in automotive construction such as dashboards, centre consoles and glove compartments.

Triumph, the British motorcycle manufacturer, is making the fairing of its new model, the Daytona 675, out of Terblend® N, a BASF specialty plastic. This blend of ABS and polyamide was instrumental in considerably reducing the weight of this motorcycle.

BASF is to double production capacity for the engineering plastic Ultrason® at its Ludwigshafen site. The expansion to 12,000 metric tons per year will be completed by the end of 2007.

The first automatic lawnmower made by the Swedish outdoor equipment manufacturer Husqvarna completely liberates gardening enthusiasts from the chore of mowing the lawn. In order for the Automower™ to keep on trucking for years on end, Husqvarna’s engineers have sheltered the electronic components of this machine inside a dark-green housing made of Luran® S, a highly weather resistant material manufactured by BASF.

The first automatic lawnmower made by the Swedish outdoor equipment manufacturer Husqvarna completely liberates gardening enthusiasts from the chore of mowing the lawn. In order for the Automower™ to keep on trucking for years on end, Husqvarna’s engineers have sheltered the electronic components of this machine inside a dark-green housing made of Luran® S, a highly weather resistant material manufactured by BASF.

Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH, headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany – supplier of electronic chassis components for the automotive industry – employs Ultradur® B4300, a BASF polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), in the manufacture of the integrated control unit for its new double-clutch transmission. The transmission control unit is a compact mechatronic component immersed in hot transmission oil. It has found its way into VW’s Golf, Touran, Passat, Jetta and the new Eos models.

For motor vehicles with improved passive protection for pedestrians, Adam Opel GmbH, headquartered in Rüsselsheim, Germany, entered into a cooperative effort with BASF and created a new plastic part. The functional part was rendered possible by BASF’s new method of integrative simulation.

When it came to designing the black areas at the front of the limited edition Golf R 32, Volkswagen chose Luran® S 788 T. The material meets the requirements for outstanding appearance without the need for coating. This gives a cost advantage over polycarbonate blends.

BASF’s innovations in the formulation and processing of Basotect® were instrumental in making it suitable for thermoforming. The new Basotect® TG is the first thermoset foam that can be shaped under heat. The impregnating step that used to be indispensable for thermoforming this material is now gone, vastly simplifying its processing.

Ultradur® High Speed, BASF’s new especially easy-flowing PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), has become the company’s first engineering plastic to receive the so-called eco-efficiency label. Products made of Ultradur® High Speed are considerably more eco-efficient than products made of a standard PBT.

On February 1 of this year, BASF launched another plastic specialty for the field of medical technology. Terluran® HD-15 is an ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) that is being marketed with a service package tailor-made for the requirements of medical technology. This material belongs to the PlasticsPlus™ product line of the Styrene Plastics Operating Division. The abbreviation HD stands for “Health Care and Diagnostics”.

Tyco Electronics, a globally active manufacturer of electronic components, has developed and is now serially producing intelligent vehicle control modules, so-called fuse relay boxes, for use in a new vehicle platform. The housings of the modules are made of Ultramid® B3 GK24, a BASF polyamide 6.

It is not only for the intake manifolds of BMW’s four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines that the MAHLE company employs BASF’s Ultramid® B3WG6 GP: the eight-cylinder intake module, with its complex shape (right-hand side), and the large, two-part ten-cylinder intake manifold for the M5 and M6 models with a special designer surface are both made of the polyamide 6 with high bursting strength and good dimensional stability.

Netherland-based traffic systems manufacturer Vialis selected BASF´s Luran® S for his new traffic signal ViaLina – the winner of the IF Gold Award. This material provides the high-quality appearance and weathering resistance demanded.

The roof console in Opel’s new Zafira is 1.8 meters long and offers eight storage compartments with opening flaps. Opel’s designers used the particularly flowable plastic Terblend® N from BASF to get the right surface quality.

The five new product types in BASF’s recently extended range of Neopolen® P foams include special types in various colors, including white, and also very smooth, ultra-light and special low-cost versions.

BASF researchers have discovered an application which makes use of the low-temperature stability of the melamine resin foam Basotect®. Steel tanks filled with liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a temperature of approximately -160°C can be effectively insulated with Basotect® for prolonged periods.

As of December 1, 2005, Hans W. Reiners has taken over responsibility for BASF’s Styrenics Operating Division. He is succeeding Dr. Fred Baumgartner, who will be heading the Inorganics Operating Division starting January 1, 2006.

A BASF service package specifically tailored to medical technology requirements has helped manufacturer Gründler medical and its supplier Funk Dreidimensional to develop a new product for intensive care medicine. HumiCare® 200 is a respiratory gas humidifier which heats and humidifies respiratory gas during artificial ventilation. For the housing, the companies involved use Terlux® 2802 HD – a transparent ABS from BASF.

BASF has a new marketing model for specialties in its operating division for styrenics. The company’s new global business unit brings together products, which have particular properties and are supplied together with ancillary services. The target is to achieve 20 percent of this business unit’s sales revenue via innovations.

BASF’s Internet game to commemorate the 75th anniversary of polystyrene led to a donation sum of 37,000 euros and is going to benefit the school in the SOS Children’s Village in Natitingou, Benin, Africa.

As of now BASF offers the new biodegradable plastic Ecovio®. Ecovio® is made of Ecoflex® and PLA (polylactic acid), the latter being produced from corn, a renewable raw material.

BASF’s new polyamide Ultramid® B3WGM24 HP, introduced at the plastics trade fair K 2004, has now made its way into a special serial application. DAF Trucks N.V. is using this plastic for the air intake channel (fan guard) of its new heavy-duty truck, the XF 105 model, which is equipped with a 12.9 liter MX engine.

The ISOQUICK® company in Niederzissen, Germany has recently turned to novel prefabricated modules to develop a thermal insulation system for the floor slab that is also just right for building low-energy and passive-heating housing, where it does its share in saving energy. These modules are made of Peripor®, a foam from BASF’s Styropor® family.

A nationwide model project titled “Low-energy houses in the housing stock” is being undertaken in Germany by Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena). Within this framework, LUWOGE, BASF’s housing company, is employing Neopor® for the interior insulation and sound absorption of a building that is more than 100 years old in the historic factory housing “Alte-Kolonie”.

As BASF celebrates the 75th anniversary of the plastic polystyrene, which was manufactured on an industrial scale for the first time and patented by BASF research-ers in 1930, a polystyrene Internet game has been devised that not only provides information about the use of polystyrene in daily life but also serves a good cause: the total points scored determine BASF’s donation to an SOS Children’s Village.

BASF’s plastic specialties will make their debut at this year’s Fakuma, the international trade fair for plastic processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The newly founded global unit for styrenic specialties is being showcased at large for the first time.

“Colani – Back in Japan” is the title of an exhibition of the industrial designer Luigi Colani, currently held in Kyoto, Japan. It is sponsored by BASF’s Global Business Unit Specialty Polymers & Specialty Foams. The exhibition explores the influence of Colani on the evolution of product design since the 1950s.

BASF was the only chemical company and plastics raw material manufacturer to receive the coveted Bosch Supplier Award 2005. A particularly prominent product manufactured by Bosch and made of BASF’s Ultramid® A3W GM53 is the cylinder head cover for BMW’s currently most powerful diesel engine.

During the launch of the new business model for its standard styrenic plastics, BASF developed the new, multifunctional polystyrene type Polystyrol PS 454 C (new) that unifies various properties of earlier types in the range. The new material has been available on the market for several months. In addition to the excellent flow properties of its predecessor, the new product has an improved impact strength and an extraordinary gloss.

BASF will expand its capacity for the production of the biodegradable plastic Ecoflex® by 6000 metric tons a year with a new plant at its Schwarzheide site in Germany at the beginning of 2006.

Banksys, Belgian supplier of card readers, uses BASF’s plastic Luran® S (ASA) for its latest generation of terminals. The company is the first supplier to turn to ASA and to replace PPE (polyphenylene ether).

The first series component made from Ultradur® High Speed, BASF’s new PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) with exceptional flow properties, is an intricate plug-in connector for data media used as a counterpart for cables in laptops, telephones, and other devices with an ISDN or DSL connection.

BASF has developed its first polyamide for the rotomoulding technology. This un-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) is sold under the brand name Capron® BR30HS and is already used in a first serial production application.

Medical Devices Technology International Limited (MDTi) along with their strategic manufacturing partner Maxell Moulding Services (UK) have developed and launched a new kind of plastic drip stand. The product called the J-Hook  is completely made from BASF’s high performance plastic Ultrason® S, a polysulphone (PSU).

Almost 200 specialists and amateurs entered the competition sponsored by BASF and sent in their “plastic” dreams. The company will welcome the winners of the first prizes in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in early March.

Thanks to his multifunctional seat cushion named “Fritz dein Sitz”, which also doubles as a beverage tray, Günter Wichert from Witten, Germany, is among the winners of the competition titled “WANTED: Germany’s brightest business ideas”. The cushion is made from BASF’s insulating material Neopor®, an expandable polystyrene (PS-E) and the inventor receives a 25,000-euro prize for it.